Galway Festival Preview:There will be no more deserving winner of this evening's Tote Galway Mile than Absolute Image but sentiment alone isn't often rewarded up the punishing Ballybrit hill and Dermot Weld's easy-to-spot grey could have his party spoiled by Baby Blue Eyes.
Runner-up to Quinmaster last year in the day two feature, and third to Latino Magic in 2005, trend-followers will pounce on his race record alone in support of Absolute Image who is actually rated 3lb lower than last year.
Despite a relatively uninspiring return to action at the Curragh over Derby weekend behind Jumbajukiba, the Weld runner is sure to be fancied in a €160,000 highlight that also includes his old adversary, Quinmaster, at the top of the weights.
Paul Carberry will be on board the double-seeker but punters are likely to pounce on the jockey booking for the other Michael Halford runner, Deauville Vision, who is to be ridden by Kieren Fallon.
A little dig in the ground will not be an issue for the Lincolnshire winner but it was plenty soft enough on her last start, too, at the Curragh when she was a disappointing sixth behind Alexander Tango in a Stakes race.
Another former winner is the 2003 McDonogh hero Eklim who has been brought back from serious injury by Colm Murphy while there are a pair of cross-channel raiders including the track winner Bolodenka.
Michael Kinane is on Richard Fahey's horse while Colm O'Donoghue will ride the lightly weighted Moody Tunes who has been in winning form this season.
The sole three-year-old, Celtic Dane, is the most inexperienced runner in the race but is still unexposed and could prove to be a fly in the handicap ointment.
Significantly three-year-olds have a fine record in what is always a competitive event and have won six of the last 12 renewals.
However, another runner with a progressive profile is Baby Blue Eyes, winner of her last two starts at Gowran and Leopardstown for which she has been raised 10lb.
Pat Flynn, winner of this race 15 years ago with Salmon Eile, is confident of a good show from a filly who is versatile on all ground and whose 10-furlong victory on soft ground at Sligo last year indicates Baby Blue Eyes will be running on when a lot of these have folded.
"She has quite a lot going for her. She's a good, tough filly who will be okay on the ground and has a fighting chance," said Flynn yesterday.
There will also be quite a bit of sentiment floating about in the two-and-three-quarter-mile McDonogh Properties conditions chase where the star veteran Adamant Approach has a run over the Galway Plate course less than 24 hours before the big event itself.
Willie Mullins's 13-year-old will be having the 59th race of his career and will be a warm order to secure a 14th victory under the champion jockey Ruby Walsh.
Campfire Glow is the Dermot Weld runner in the seven-furlong fillies juvenile maiden and with a reasonable debut at Leopardstown under her belt she is sure to be well fancied.
However, there was a lot to like about the way Sleeveless progressed from her own debut at Leopardstown to run third to Kayd Kadoun at Naas and the Michael O'Leary-owned filly could be a bit of value to deny the Weld runner despite a poor draw.
Some of Desert Abbey's form from last winter includes top names from last season's novice hurdle ranks and Jessica Harrington's runner should be hard to beat in the opening maiden hurdle. The Listowel bumper winner can kick the second day off on a good note for punters.
The two-mile handicap sees some well known National Hunt names take on specialist flat runners like Allesandro. This will be the farthest that Convincing has travelled on the flat but four wins over hurdles indicate that he is a horse on the upgrade.
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